Improved sorghum-evaporator



L. N. MYERS.

Sorghum Evaporator.

Patented Oct- 31, 1865.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

L. N. MYERS, OF WILMINGTON, OHIO.

IMPROVED SORGHUM-EVAPORATOR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,726, dated October 31, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEONARD N. MYERS, of Wilmington,in the county of Clinton and State of Ohio, have invented an Improved Evaporator for Sorghum and Other Sirups; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification Figure 1 being a plan of the evaporator; Fig. 2, a plan thereof with the upper part removed Fig. 3, a central longitudinal vertical section of the evaporator Fig. 4, a central transverse vertical section thereof.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

Over the furnace-chamber A, I locate an evaporating-pan, F, for the raw juice, which is rapidly boiled therein. Above this pan is located another pan, G, in which the more concentrated juices or sirups are evaporated until the ultimate consistency is obtained. This latter process requires only a very gentle heat, so that the sirup may not scorch nor foam and run over. To eifect this moderate evaporation I employ the heat arising from the steam of the evaporation from the lower pan, F. This is the leading principle in the present invention, and its application, together with the arrangement of the parts of the evaporator to enable it to be applied, and to assist it when necessary by heat direct from the heating-furnace, properly regulated, constitutes the improvements herein claimed.

To carry out these features I employ two chimney-fines, O D, one at each end of the evaporator, the rear fine, 0, receiving directly the products of combustion from the fire-chainber A, and being the one generally employed, and the front flue, 1), being employed to conduct away the spent steam after being utilized to heat the upper pan, and also sometimes to receive a part of the products of combustion after they have passed through the heatingspace 1) under the upper evaporating-pan, as sometimes used to assist the steam when found insufficient; also a sheet-metal partition, H, is employed, being located between the lower pan, F, and the upper pan, G, to prevent any impurities contained in the products of combustion,when passingthrough the space 1), from dropping down into the lower pan, F. I also provided a side flue, I, leading about midway of the length of the evaporator from the firechamber A round one side of the lower evaporating-pan, F, into the space 19, for the purpose of applying heat more directly and strongly from the fire-chamber, if ever found necessary, to assist in effecting the evaporation in the upper pan, G; but I do not apprehend that this will often be required.

In order to allow the steam from the lower pan, F, to pass freely up into the space 12 under the upper pan, I provide perforations h h h through the partition H, either near the end most remote from the escape-flue D, so as to secure its action along the whole bottom of the evaporatingpan G, or more generally along the length of the partition, ifdesired. In order to secure these apertures against allowing impurities to fall through them into the lower evaporating pan, they may be covered with any kind of shield or cap.

For controlling the application of the heat, both from the steam and from the fire chamber, several dampers are. used-namely, a damper in the flue O to turn the draft under the pan G, when necessary, a damper, d, to shut oft the draft entirely, when desired, and when steam is solely used, and a third damper, i, Fig. 4, to open or close the side line, I. The draft passes into the flue I from the fire-chamber through the opening a in the side wall of the furnace, and inward again into the space 19 through the opening I).

An outlet closed by a gate,f, or its equivalent, is used for drawing the sirup from the lower pan,F, to transfer it to the upper pan, G.

The outer end, m, of the pan Fis made flaring outward to enable the scum to be raked out by a perforated plate or skimmer. The scum falls into a trough, n, at the upper edge of the pan, and thence is caught in a spout or vessel to be conveyed away.

I intend to use a series ofthree or more pans, one above the-other, or otherwise suitably for the purpose, so as to use the steam of each one below for heating the next above successively.

This invention is applicable to concentrating all kinds of sirups, juices, and other liquids to be reduced in quantity by evaporation.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The application of the steam generated in the evaporation of sorghum and other juices forimparting or assisting to produce a gentle heat for finishing concentrated sirups, substantially asand for thepurpose herein specified.

2. The arrangement of a series of three or more evaporating-pans, 'one over another, or otherwise in a suitable and equivalent manner so as to use the steam arising from the evaporation in one for heating another in succession, the steam being applied either alone or in connection with other heat applied in any way, for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The perforated sheet-metal partition H, between the pans F and G, arran ged and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

4. The combined arrangement of the two L. N. MYERS.

Witnesses:

W. B. FIsHER, S. WINANT. 

